Electric door mechanism



A Aug. 9,A 1932. c. NORTON 1,871,433

ELECTRIC DOOR MECHANISM Filed March 7, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l Aug. 9, 1932. c. NORTON ELECTRIC DOOR MECHANISM Filed March '7, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENT BYMQMA/ q l ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 9, 1932 i CLIFFORD NORTON, 0F SOUTH ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE .ASSIGN- MENTS, T0 O'IIS ELEVATOB COMPANY, A. CORPORATION 0F NEW JERSEY nnncrnrc noon 4:iancasAJirI-sm.

Application mea march v, 1929. serial No, $545,140.

This invention relates to improvements in power door operators.

It is a primary pbject of the invention to provide power means for opening and closing the car door and landing doors of elevators and to render such devices safer for use in operatorless elevators.

It is a further object to permit either-door to be readily moved by hand in case the power devices are not functioning properly.

These and other objects will appear more fully from the following description when considered in connection with the drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of an elevator car showing my invention applied to the same.

' Fig. 2 is a plan view of a portion of the elevator and the door operating mechanism.

Fig. 3 illustrates one of the landing door mechanisms. v

Fig. 3a is an enlarged view of a portion of the landing door operating mechanism with 5 the parts moved preparatory to opening the door. Y t. Fig. 4 shows a landing door in open posiion.

Fig 5 is a detail view of the cam for operating the landing door.

Fig. 6 is a detail view of the connection between the sill trip and toggle levers of one of the landing door mechanisms showing the same in its inactive position.

Fig. 7 .is an enlarged view of the friction devices employed for moving the car door.

Fig 8 illustrates diagrammatically one wiring system which may be employed with the apparatus disclosed.

The present' construction is intended to produce movement of the ycar door and the landing door at Which the elevator stopsby the use of one motor carried by the car. This motor is indicated at 18 and is connected by suitable reduction gearing 20 to a slow-speed drive shaft 22. The shaft 22 is provided with a crank 24 having an eccentric connection 31 for producing door movement. The car door 26 is connected'to the eccentric 31 by means of a lever 28 pivotally attached toa vlite or similar material.

movable portion of the door as by means of a link or slot connection. The lever 28 is pivoted upon the carjas at 29 and is formed with an extension 33 pivotally attached to a friction device 32. rlhis friction device slidahly receives a pitman rod 30, the latter being pivotally connected to the eccentricbearing 31 of the crank 24.

The friction device 32 as constructed in the present embodiment is illustrated in detail in Fig. 7 and includes a housing formed with a longitudinal bore loosely receiving the rod 30 and formed with radial bores for receiving the friction plungers 34 formed of bake- Plungers 34 are normally pressed inwardly against the rod 3() by means of springs 35 tensioned by suitable plugs as shown. l tion devices 34 is sufficient to cause the housing 32 and door lever 28 to be moved` with the rod 30 unless the former are positively fwherever the friction devices may engage rod 30. The car door may thus be held against opening or closing movement without materi ally influencing the operation of the motor 18, the only effect being to cause the friction,

The tension uponI the fric`v devices to slide along rod 30. The devices c ,with the operation of the motor. The landing door or gate 26 may be moved manually to open orclosed position by directly moving the door whether the motor is then in operation or not, the friction connection constituting only a slight obstruction to door movement. It will be understood that other types of friction connection are within the contemplation of the invention, the main requirefment being that either the motor 18 or door 26 should be movable independently of the other without undueistress on the door or fluencing the operation of the motor 18.

to be moved from the The car door lever 28 includes adjustable abutments 36 and 38 for opening the open and close limit switches 39 and 40 respectively as the door reaches substantially open and closed position.

It is preferred to control the hoisting motor control circuit directly from the lever 28 and to this end the lever is pivotally connected by link 41 to the lever` 41a which contacts with and operates theinsulating plunger serving to separate the contacts of the elevator switch 42 whenever the car door 26 is moved slightly toward open position.

The landing door mechanism includes toggle levers 54 and 56 normally maintained in straight-line position as 'shown in Fig. 3 to lock the door against movement. The lever 54 is preferably includes a manual handle 59 permitting the door to be opened by hand. The landing doors are moved to closed position by means of a spring 7 O anchored upon the base plate 58 and connected by a suitable ieXible element 71 and adjustable eye-bolt to a rigid bracket on the toggle lever 54. Lever 54 also includes a cam 72 engageable with the flexible element 71 after the toggle levers are broken. The cam lever 72 includes a projecting element 72a for increasing the leverage of the spring upon the toggle lever 54 when the door reaches substantially open position. j.

The toggle levers 54 and v56 are arranged motor 18 by means of a chain or other flexible member 60 attached to the. eccentric 'portion 31 of the crank 24. rLhe chain 60 passes over` suitable guide rollers and is attached at its other end to the power applying cam 62 mounted on one side edge of the elevator car and supported by links 64. It'is preferred to form stops 64a and 64b for limiting respectively the outward and inward movement of the cam 62, stop 64a preferably being adjustable as shown.

The cam 62 is arranged toengage and move `a bell crank lever 66 positioned adjacent the landing door and connected by link 68 with a bracket 78v for transmitting power from the car-carriedcam to the toggle lever 56. Since the cam-62 and bell crank lever 66 'are movable in planes transverse tof the plane of movement of the landing door and of the toggle levers, the opposite ends of the lever 68 are either loosely connected to the bell crank lever 66 and bracket 78 or else full universal joints may be employed, if desired,

as shown for example at 67 (Fig. 4).

The bracket 78 is supported upon the toggle lever pivot stud 80 carried by the base plate l58 within the elevator shaft. This bracket is formed vas a yoke encircling the togglej lever 56 and having' limited movement independently of the toggle lever. Downward move-y l openmg power directly to the lever 56 after taking up the lost motion between the bracket 78 and lever 56. 1

The bracket 78 also controls an interlock switch 76 provided with an insulating plunger 77 connected by Aa suitable link to the bracket 78 as at 79. The plunger 77 is so arranged with respect to the contacts of switch 76 that the Contact members are engaged only when the toggle levers 54 and 56 are in straight-line position and the bracket 78 is approximately half, way between its limits of movement with respect to the lever 56. By this means the loose connection between the bracket 78 and toggle lever 56 serves to open the interlock switch before power is applied to the toggle lever to open the doors as illustrated in Fig. 3a.

The closing movement of the landing doors may be checked by vmeans of door checks 74.

Each door check 74 is directly connected to an extension 75 formed on bracket 78 to cause the bracket 78 to remain in engagement with the'lever 56 during door closing movement. The elevator switch 76 is thus maintained open until toggle levers 54 and 56 are in their aligned or locked position vafter which the dropping of bracket 78 to its lowerlnost pos1- tion closes the elevator controlling circuit.

One wiring diagram which may be employed in connection with the invention is illustrated in Fig. 8 'showing the condition of the parts with the doors standing open. In this ligure the motor 18, open limit switch 39 and close limit switch 40 are as referred to esl above. Power is supplied to the motor 1.8

preferably through variable and independent resistances 43 and 43a effective during opening and closing movements of the door respectively, in normal operation. The door opening circuit is controlled by a coil 45 which, when energized, closes contacts 46 and 47. The coil 45 may be energized bya manual pushbutton 44er may be energized automatically by means of conductors 49 and 55 carried respectively by the armature of relay 51 and on the upper surface of lever `52. The relay 51 is energized when current is supplied to theniain hoisting motor by means of the power lines indicated.y The energizing of coil 5l elevates its relay and moves the contact 49 above the lever 52. Upon de-energization of tliehoisting motor a circuit is completed through the conductors 55 and 49, this circuit short-circuiting the open pushbutton 44 to energize the door opening coil 45.

Upon the closing o f the circuit through the coil 45 its armature is moved to circuit c osing position, The closing of contacts` 46 creates a holding circuit for-the coil maintaining this coil energized until the open limit switch 39 breaks the holding circuit. The holding circuit so formed passes from the positive side of the power line to the stationary Contact of switch 44, through closed contacts 46,to the base of push button 44, through coil and open limit switch 39 to the negative side of the line. The closing of the circuit through contacts 47 supplies electrical energy to thev motor 18 through resistance 43for door opening movement. The door closing controlling circuit is substantially-the same as the opening circuit in that pushbutton 48 supplies the current to thecoil 50 which moves its armature to position to close contacts 46a and 47a. Contacts 46a form a holding circuit from the positive side of the line to the fixed contact of switch 48, through contacts 46a, to the base of switch 48, through coil 50 and close ing the circuit o-f coil 45, either automaticallimit switch 40 to the negative side of the line. The closing of contacts 47a completes a circuit for operating motor 18, this circuit passing from the positive side of the dine, through contacts 47a, resistance 43a and motor 18 to the negative side of the line. `When the doors are substantially closed the close limitjswitch 40 opens the holding circuit for the coil 50.

This apparatus operates as follows: While the car` is in motion crank 24 remains substantially in the position shown in Fig. 1. When the elevator is" stoppedA at a landing power is supplied to the motor 18 by closly or through the manual pushb'utton, whereuponthe motor begins to operate producing opening movement of the car gate through the pitman 30, friction device 32 and lever 28. Opening of the landing door is accomplished by means of the chain 60, cam 62, lever 66, link 68, bracket 7 8 and toggle levers 54 and 56. Since the car door is opened by the rotary motion of the crank 24` through .the intermediate' friction devices 32, the in- Aitial movement of the crank 24 applies door opening movement to the lever 28 gradually thus permitting the use of relatively light pressure between the friction elements 84 and rod 30. The initial movements ofthe elevatordoor lever 28 opens the elevator controlling switch 42 on the car.

During the initial openingmovement of the door motor the cam 62 is moved into engagement with the roller on the-free endof tlie lever 66 and pressure is applied against the bracket 7 8. The first part of the movcment of the rod 68and bracket 7 8 serves to open the interlock switch 76 to prevent move- 'ment of the elevator carand thereafter the continued rotation of the motor 18 and crank 24 causes the landing door to be moved to open position with the car door.A In normal operation when the crank 24 has been moved Ain accordance with the crank 24. The car door is thus moved by the friction devices to closed position and the cam 62 recedes from the bell crank lever 66 permitting the spring 70 to close the landing door. When the car door reaches substantially closed position the open limit switch 40 de-energizesthe motor 18 and the elevator controlling switch 42 is closed. The closing movement of the landing door or doors is checked by the dashpot 74 which acts upon the bracket 78 to maintain it in contact with the toggle lever 56. After the toggleflever 56 has reached the limit of its downward movement the weight of the bracket 78 and rod 68 and lever 66 serves to move the bracket 7 8 to itsr full-line position as shown in Fig. 5. This iinal movement of the bracket 78 beyond the toggle lever 56 closes the interlock switch 7 6 and permits movement of the elevator.

l claim as mv invention: l

l.` ln combination, an elevator car; a landing door; means individual to said landing door urging said landing door to closed position; a motor on said car; a crank driven by said motor; means connecting said crank to said landing door for effecting opening of said landing door upon operation of said motor, said connecting means including a movable cam carried by said elevator'car and a device individual to said landing door for cooperation with said cam, the door opening power for said landing door being transmitted from said motor through said cam and said cooperating device to said landing door; a car door; and connections from said crank to said car door for efi'ecting opening of said car door upon operation of said motor to effeet opening of said landing door and for effecting closing'of said car .door upon opera- .tion of said motor while said means individthe infiuence of only saidmeans individual thereto urging it closed. y

2. ln combination with a movable door, pivotally connected toggle levers attached to said door and to a relatively stationary member respectively, spring means for closing i said door, an eccentric cam operatively associated with said spring means to be engaged thereby during the opening movement of said door andto apply ower to said toggles to close said door, said eccentric including a projecting portion for increasing the egectiveness of said spring during a portion of the closing movement.

3. In an elevator door mechanism, a car, `a motor on the car, a crank arm rotated in one direction only by rotation of said motor, a landing door, and means including a flexible member for transmitting door opening power from an eccentric'portion of said crank to said landing door for opening the same during the rotation of said crank through a predetermined angle, and means for closing. said landing door duringfurther rotation of sald crank.

4. In an elevator door apparatus, power means, a car door, a landing door, means for transmitting power from said power means `to said car door for opening and closing said car door, means for transmitting power from said power -means to said landing door for opening said landing door, means for closing said landing door when released from the iniuence of said power means, means for applying power to said power means to open both of said doors,.and additional means for applying power to said power means during door closing movement of the landing door to effect closure of said car door.

5. In combination with a sliding elevator hatchway door; an arm; means for pivotallysupporting one end of said arm upon a stationary member of said hatchway so that said arm may swing in a` plane parallel to the plane of said door; a second arm; means for pivotally supporting said second arm upon rsaid door so that said second armmay swing in a plane parallel to the plane of said door5 and in substantially the same plane in which said -first arm swings; means pivotally connecting the free end of one of said arms to the other of said arms a short distance from the free end of such other arm, said arms thereby constituting toggle arms for said door in' which the juncture of said arms, when said dooris in open position,.is spaced vertically from its position when said door is in closed position; spring means for urging said door toward closed position, said means including aspring and a flexible member secured to one end of said spring and passing over the juncture of said two arms when said door is in closed position'; and an eccentric cam surface for said exible member provided on the arm having said pivotal connection a short distance from the free end thereof, said cam surface being between said point of pivotal connection and the free end of said arm and havingi a portion engaging said iiexible member as v saidrdoor approaches open position f or increasing the effectiveness of said spring to initiate door closing movement of said door from door o en position.

Signed at gew York, in the county of New York, and State of New York,this 6th day of March, A. D. 1929.

' CLIFFORD NORTON.

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